Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-09-09
INTERSTATE COMMISSION,
THE MEETING OF THE FULL BOARD
YESTERDAY AT RUTLAND.
Many Distinguished Railroad and Legal
Gentlemen Present - Manager Por-
teous, Supt. Mellen and Auditor
Lucas on the stand.


Interstate commerce commission on the
petitions of the Boston and Albany Rail
road company and of the master of the
Vermont State Grange against the Cen
trail Vermont Railroad company and the
National Dispatch line, charging viola
tions of the law in making determinations
i'll freight rates, was begun here to day.
The full commission was present, Chair
man Cooley, Commissioners Morrison,
Schoonmaker, Bragg and Walker.
The Central Vermont railroad counsel
was Hon. b. f. Fifeld, the Boston and
Albany, Mr. Samuel lloar, the Boston and
Lowell, Hon. \. A. Strout and William
II. Coolidge. The Vermont State grange
was represented by Senator Edmunds.
Among those in attendance on the hear
ing are Col. kittredge Haskins, and Mr..
Alpha Messer of Rochester, VT, master of
the State grange, Mr.. G. :. Mellen, general
superintendent and Mr.. II. n. Turner,
general freight agent, of the Boston and
Lowell road, Mr.. l.. j. Sergeant, general
traffic manager of the Grand Trunk rail
way, and Messrs. John Porteous and +.
5. Cleverly of that road, Mr. Arthur Mills,
general traffic manager of the Boston and
Albany, Hon. William l.. Foster of Con-
cord, n. H., counsel for the Concord road,
Mr.. IL. f.. Chamberln, general superin-
tendent of the Concord road, Mr.. George
f. Todd, superintendent of the Northern
road, eX-Gov. J. Gregory Smith, pre- dent
OF the Central Vermont, vice president +.
{; Smith, Private Secretary George T.
Chllds, General Freight Agent f. a.
Chlttenden, Auditor +. G.. Lucas,
and 5, &. Shurtleff of Montpelier. counsel
for the Montpelier and Wells River road,
Mr.. John Porteous, the manager of the
n fob,
general superintendent of the Boston and
Lowell railroad, and Mr.. f. &. Lucas,
auditor OF the Central Vermont railroad.
were on the stand yesterday 1t was
shown by Mr.. Porteous that the rates
complained of were made by the National
Despatch Line and not by the railroads
over which its cars run. But when it
came to finding out who or what the
National Despatch line is MIR. Por-
teous was not so clear 1t seemed for
time that the line was composed of
few cars and Mr.. Porteous. Finally it
was ascertained through Mr., Edmunds's
close questioning that the National Des-
patch line has no president, treasurer nor
directors. There is an auditor, who was
there when Mr.. Porteous became man.
ager. But how he got there Mr.. Porteous
dld not know. The National Despatch
line consists OF these officers and $50 cars
of the National Car Co, 100 of which are
owned by the Grand Trunk railroad
1t appears that the arrangement is this
The National Despatch line makes a
through western rate on freights, and all
the roads over which the cars run
take their pro rata part of this
through tariff for drawing the cars
But all the roads disclaim responsibility
for the rate and take what is assigned to
them by this mystic corporation. The
Boston and Lowell showed that they were
not consulted when the rate was made
in hni Chn
vision. They also showed that their re.
turns on National Dispatch business were
made to the Central Vermont railroad.
The defence of the railroads as developed
thus lar is that the National Despatch
line Is separate corporation over which
they have no control; that it makes only
through rates that neither Of the railroads
makes through rates to conflict with local
rates, and that the railroads could not live
without this through traffic which would
be cut on from them by the great trunk
lines II the rates were higher
John Porteous OF the National Despatch
line, testified The freight rate from Bos-
Ton 10 Montreal is the same as from New
York to Montreal. If the former rate is
higher than the latter, Montreal mel
chants would trace more with New York,
thus hurting the lines New England
business. These rates are on a As cent
basis. The witness claimed that the eX-
port business has been injured by the
interstate law. Upon counsel OBJ
Jectlng to revealing the proportion of
each roads share of the freight proceeds
Chrlrman Cooley remarked that in con
temptation of the inter State law no mat
tiers concerning. rates or anything else
could be other than public and that all
rates are supposed tobe on file in Wash
ington for reference by the commission.
Charles >. Mellen, general superlnten-
dent OF the Boston and Lowell, said he
nf nj
purporting to be signed by him which ad-
yertlsed to deliver freight of the
first class via the National Despatch
at Chicago, four and one half DAYS out
from Boston, the witness said he knew of
no written agreement between the Lowell
road and Despatch Line, but the present
arrangement has been in vogue ever since
he became connected with the road in 80.
The line furnishes the business and the
road does 1t and takes its share of the pro-
ceedS. In reply to Senator Edmunds he
SAID they had not always been satisfied
with this share, and had made complaint.
Being asked to whom they complained he
replied, 1.-THE Central Vermont" In re
ply to question as to what the National
Despatch line is, he said cit is chiefly
name" The Boston and Lowell have
two routes TO Montreal one via the Cen
trail Vermont, the other via the Passump-
SIC fully 5Oper cent of the Montreal bust
ness is done by the Passumpsic, but near
~ all the western goes over the Central
vermont. After the Interstate law was
passed his company took counsel and
notified the Central Vermont that they in.
tended to follow section four TO the letter
and no rates below White River Junction
are higher than to that point
Comparing through and local business,
ne SAID the net earnings were greater on
freight from Boston to White River June
ton than on freighG from Boston to Chi
cago.
>, Inc petition ested the case here and
the defense called f. G. Lucas, auditor
of the Central Vermont, who gave
the last years financial statements of the
Central Vermont and Ogdensbure and
Lake Champlain roads, embracing the
freight earnings. The evidence tended to
show how dependent the Central Yer
mont is oil through business.
At the conclusion OF Mr. Lucas's testi.
mony recess was taken until 10 to NOR
row, when it is probable President Smith
of the Central Vermont will take the
stand and 60 fully INTO the reasons for
organizing and maintaining a through
freight line not owned by the roads.